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Outlook problem

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Tags: Operating Systems, Operating systems

Hi.

I am trying to find out if Outlook can attach files to an e-mail without the user actually knowing about it. Is there a way that the settings could prompt different versions of Outlook to attach a document?

My issue has occurred because I sent an e-mail from home (I use Outlook 2003) with a 2003 word attachment containing some notes and then when I created a new e-mail at work this attachment was sent but in another format. I had saved the word document in a folder at work in the meantime.

The e-mail I have in my sent items on my own PC is a word icon attachment (.doc) but the work e-mail shows three attachments, all in something called message format. I noticed that the file sizes were slightly lower than the word attachment. One of the attachments won’t even open and the other two contain the notes I made at home.

So can Outlook/software issues cause a mistake like this or is it simply down to a lack of concentration on my part?

Can anybody shed any light on this or provide links to help?

Thanks.

Topic

Clarifications 13**253862

In reply to Outlook problem

Clarification dummy post @ 13**253862

Yes it is possible

In reply to Outlook problem

But it all depends on how you made the E Mail sent from work. If you had the Word Document open in the program that’s default is Message Format and clicked on E Mail it would most certainly attach itself as well as the backup and partial file that you already had open hence the 3 attachments of different sizes.

To suggest any more I would need a lot more information to the system the installed software and so on which in most companies would be considered as a Security Breach. Also you need to look at the Software who’s default saving file is Message Format and speak to your IT Section as there could be a Security Breach involved already and that would require sorting out. The one thing most likely here is that the Word Document wasn’t open in Word but even that doesn’t necessarily mean that it wasn’t. Also check that the Meta Data is/isn’t intact from the Word Document in the Forwarded Files?

Col

Interesting…..

In reply to Outlook problem

Thanks for the reply HAL.

I have a very basic knowledge of computer programs and software and find it very confusing.

Could you provide more information on how Outlook attaches the message formatted docs please?

Is the software converting the word doc to a revised message format and if so why does it do this?

Would this be some kind of system bug in the software being used?

Would it be possible to recreate the sequence of events again?

Is this a common mishap?

I had no idea there was any attachment to the e-mail I sent at work. As far as I can remember I sent the word doc from my PC at home and when I logged on at work I opened the attachment and saved it to my individual drive. Perhaps it was still open in background when I moved to Outlook.

Then I created a new e-mail with no intention of sending any attachment and copied and pasted some information from excel in to the e-mail. I believe both e-mails were open at the same time. Shortly after a colleague advises me of the attachments to the e-mail which was a shock.

I cannot really help on the companies software but I am keen to hear more about the possible security breach you mentioned. I assume this is a potential breach if software is attaching sensitive information to e-mails without the users knowing. It sounds like I should talk to the IT department for clarification and let them investigate.

Thanks again HAL, I really appreciate it.

Without know what is involved it’s impossible to say with certainty

In reply to Interesting…..

But I would suggest speaking to IT as the things being attached simply shouldn’t be happening and it could get downright nasty depending on what was actually in the attachment.

Things like price lists can carry the current list any changes and both wholesale and the clients costs letting them know that the y have either a great deal or worse a not so good deal and that they should look elsewhere. It’s things like that which you don’t want happening. Metadata can carry all that information and more so it’s really a good idea to prevent it happening again unless of course you want it to.

As for being able to recreate it it should be possible but unless you know exactly what was running it may not happen. However it’s unlikely word was open as it should have attached it as either a .doc or .docx so I would be looking at different software but it could be something to do with copying data from excel being copy & pasted to the e Mail you would have to try it and see what happens.

Col

Thanks

In reply to Outlook problem

Thanks very much for taking the time to help Col.

Based on the attachments format on the work e-mail (the three attachments from one word doc) it does appear that a combination of the software being used and the circumstances involved have contributed to the error. And as you have said it is a concern if this could happen again where sensitive information is involved and could get in to the wrong hands. I will contact the IT team and report these issues.

Thanks again.

How…..

In reply to Thanks

do I PM you Col?

I can’t seem to do this?

Hello again

In reply to Outlook problem

Hi again.

Could my issues be related to the winmail.dat problems I have been reading a lot about or is it unconnected?

http://email.about.com/od/outlooktips/qt/Prevent_Winmail_dat_Attachments_from_Being_Sent_in_Outlook.htm

Could that explain how my work e-mail had three attachments to it?

Can you provide further info or a link which explains how the three files (the main one, a back up and the partial file you mentioned initially) get attached?

Thanks.

issues not related to winmail.dat

In reply to Hello again

This problem is not related to winmail.dat. In case, you find this file format beyond the Outlook or exchange then it can easily decoded in OS compatible format.

More ideas ?

In reply to Outlook problem

Hi Col.

I have had some more ideas/opinions here?

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2003-word/file-conversion-questions-urgent-help-required/e7ea67c5-18ec-4c15-893d-32cf9eb83cab

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2007-word/microsoft-word-help-required/bb52a199-051f-4b3f-b47e-43ad251e9260

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2007-outlook/microsoft-wordoutlook-issues-help-required/1af26744-1c8c-4bc7-9831-1347bc35fe0a

http://www.outlookforums.com/threads/**503-outlook-problem/#post333111

What do you make of the comments?

An interesting article…….

In reply to Outlook problem

Hi Col.

Well I have been doing endless Google searches in an attempt to establish what happened.

I discovered this article yesterday and it does suggest there are some inherent security issues with .msg files and their use.

http://windowsitpro.com/outlook/q-what-outlook-saved-mail-msg-file-format-and-what-security-problems-come-its-use

I should also point out that my employers use Windows Explorer and I believe this application was open when I was getting the figures from the Excel spreadsheet. Could all of these factors and my incoherence with the software be the reason why my personal notes ended up in the wrong hands?

Thanks.

[Author]

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